Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

International oil and gas producer Vermilion Energy Inc. said Friday it will defer or cancel its offshore Australian oil drilling program and cut its 2015 capital budget to $415 million, down $110 million from $525 million announced in December.